Gauge



Nov. 1, 1932. w. R. RATHBONE ET AL GAUGE Filed Mach 4, 1931 Patented Nov. 1, 1932 y i. Y

UNITED sinergias narratori-Farce WOFFORD a. nATnBoNn, or HAMMOND.' AND vnns'rrnnn e. McPHERsoN, or

' NEwpRLEaNs, LOUISIANA l GAUGE Application filed March 4, 1931. Serial No. 520,039. v'

The present invention relates to improvecontinuous tape of thin sheet metal or ments in gauges, and has for an object to other appropriate material, which tape runs provide an improved gauge for use in conover an upper pulley or flanged wheel 11 and nection with tanks, either above or below a lower pulley or flanged wheel 13.

' 5 ground, particularly with tanks for contain- The upper pulley 11 is mounted between 55 lng gasoline or other petroleuml products adjustable spindles 14:. For the, purpose of which are usually installed below ground. adjustment, the spindles 14, which are pref- It is another object of the invention to erably pointed where they engage the ball provide an improved gauge which may be bearing pulley 11, are supplied with threads 10 quickly and accurately read so that a conon their Shank pOltOnS, WhCh threads e11- 60 Stant gauge of the contents of the tank is gage through threaded openings in brackets made possible. which include the vertical portions'l and A further object ofthe invention is to the horizontal legs 16. These legsl, as provide an improved gauge which will be of shown more particularly in Figure 2, are

15 a simple form of construction, admitting of formed With dove-tail extensions 17 occupy- 65 a wide variety of adjustment and mounted ing correspondingly formed grooves in liXed in connectionwith the intake line ofthe tank. bearing pieces A18, which are Vinstalled within With the foregoing and other objects in the upper portion of the housing v5-and at view, the invention will be more fully dedlametrically opposite points. 4

2o scribed hereinafter, and will be more par- The slides 15, V16 are adjustable vertically 70 ticularly pointed out in the claims appended by the useof screws 19 or'other appropriate hereto. devices, two screws being preferably em- In the drawing, wherein like 'symbols reployed to each slide to avoid binding and the fer to like or corresponding parts throughscrews are preferably locked close ,to the bearout the several views, `ing pieces 1,8 at their axes parallel to the 754 Figure 1 is a vertical section-taken through length of such strips 18. The lower ends of a portion of the tank and intake line and the adjusting screws 19 have a bea-ring in a illustrating an improved gauge constructed fixed plate 2O that extends across withiny the according to the present invention. housing 5 below the guide strips 18. As 3o Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken on shown more particularly in Figures 2 and 3, 80 the line 2-2 in Figure 1, and the plate 20 is formed with cut-out portions Figure 3 is ka vertical section taken on the 21 along both front and rear edges and at its line 3,-3 in Figure 1. i central point for `the `purpose of receiving eferring more particularly to the drawtherethrough thesliding sides or runs of the ing, 5 represents a housing which may form tape 10. The side walls of the cut-out por- 85 a portion or extension of the intake line or tions-21 aid with the flanges of the pulleys l filling neck 6 for the sunken gasoline or V11 and 13 lin maintaining proper trackage of other tank 7. The lower portion of the inthe tape l Y take line is indicated at 8 and has a conven- The plate 20 has affixed thereto the upper 40 tional lit with the tank 7. i Gasoline or other y portion of a rigid rod 22, the connection be- 90 fuel is contained in the tank 7 and is withing` adjustably effected by lock'nuts 23 and 241 drawn thereby from time to time as in the screwed upon the rod 22 and engaging upper supplying of automobiles with gasoline, and and lower' surfaces of the plate 20, respecit thereby becomes important to ascertain, tively. The rod 22 extends down between the at any particular time, the liquid level of the two runs ofthe tape 1() and at its 'lower end 95 contents of the tank 7, which, being under'- is aiiixed to a lower bearing member comground or otherwise inaccessible, is not open posed of the upper yoke piece 23 and the legs for ready inspection. 24",;which latter are adapted to rest upon the Pursuant to the invention, there is a float bottom of the tank 7 or not as desired. Lock 9 of any desired type affixed to an endless or 'nuts 25 and26f are threaded uponthe lower 100 portion of the rod 22 and engage upon opposite sides of the yoke piece 23. The legs 24 are provided with threaded openings to receive the threaded shanks of the adjusting spindles 26 of the lower ball bearing pulley 13, and lock nuts 27 and 28 are threaded upon these threaded adjusting screws' 26 and take against opposite faces of the legs 24.

The upper portion of the housing is enclosed by al glass plate or panel 291and by an opaque metallic or other removable cover 3() which, as shown, may be hinged at one side as indicated at 31, and be provided with 'a lock 32 at its other side. f

The lling neck 6 is shown as provided with the usual form of cover 331. Y In the use of the device, the cover 33 of the filling neck 6,. which projects above lthe ground, may be removed when desired, and gasoline or other liquid from a tank wagon or other source of 'supply may be fed into the tan-k' 7 through the fuel line. The Yopaque protective cover 30 of the housing will be unlocked by authorized person from time to time for the purpose of, taking a reading on the `calibrated tape 10 through the inspection glass 29. The float 9 will rise and fall with the liquid level in the tank 7 and will carry withit the calibrated tape, causing the tape to move over the pulleys 11 and 13. The scale or markings on the tape 10 will correspond to the lcapacity of the tank and will slou7 the amount of liquid in the tank at any particular time. The tape will thus give an insta-nt and accurate reading of the contents' of the tank 7.

,The advantages of this method of gauging are many, but chiefly the element of time and vaccuracy are stressed. Under the present method of gauging'by the rod, several gauges are necessary at a gauging for a tank.

Each will show a di'erent reading and an average must be` taken, seldom resulting in accuracy, with time consumed of ten to twenty minutes per tank. The improved gauge will insure accuracy and will reduce P time of gauging to that required to unlock and lift the cover 30, which can be accomplished from one to three minutes.

It is essential to cget proper tracking of the tape 10, so as to have ease of movement of the tape and float, and thereby'the adjustments afforded by this device become important. The tape may befslackened or drawn taut by the movement of the adjusting screws 19 in the one or other direction, causing the slides 15. 16 to either ascend or descend upon their guide ways. The pulleys 11 and 413 may be moved to correct vertical alignment by adjusting the spindles 14 and 26.

The rod 22 connects the upper and lower portions of the device 'and enables the entire device t'o be inserted and lifted out through the fuel line 8.

This device may forms of tanks by substituting the upper casting 5, 6 for that upon the present fuel line.

It will be noted that readings may be taken through the pyrex glass or other transparent cover 29 covering the upper part of the pulley 11.

When the device is to be used only through a gauge line opening of a tank, the container box will not be cast with the fill opening in connection, but only to contain the working parts of this gauge.

It will be obvious that various changes in the construction, combination and arrangement of partsl could be made, which could be used without departing from the spirit of our invention, and we do not mean to limit the invention to such details, except as particularly pointed out in the claims. Vf

Having thusdescribed our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is Y 1. In a gauge, a housing, a filling neck extending olf said housing, a glass cover for the housing, an opaque cover above the housing, means'to lock the last mentioned cover, a cut away plate within the housing, an endless calibrated tape tracking through the cut away portions of the plate, a pulley above the plate for receiving the tape, an adjustable support for said pulley, va rod extending down from said plate, a bracketcarried by said rod, adjustable bearings carried by said bracket, a lower iianged 'pulley carried by the adjustable bearings for receiving the lower portion of the tape, and a float ai'lixed to the tape. Y

2. In a tank gauge, a fuel line to the tank, a

housing at the upper portion of the fuel line,

a filling neck extending substantially diagonally up from the lower portion of said housing, a transparent cover for the housing, a removable opaque cover above the transparent cover, means to lock the opaque cover, supporting'means in the housing above the connection of the filling neck, a pulley supf orted from said supporting means, a bracket in the lower portion of the tank, a rigid connection between said supporting means and bracket, a pulley in the bracket, a calibrated tape trained over said pulleys, and a float on the tape.

' VERSTILLE Gr. MGPHERSON.

WOFFORD R. RATHBONE.

be applied to existing 

